These are my thoughts on life that I glean from the Torah - parshat hashavua, Daf Yomi, Mishna, etc.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

removing the poles

Parshat T'rumahWhen describing the construction specifications of the Aron, the Torah says poles must be made to carry the Aron and placed in the rings on the side of the Aron. In 25:15 it says, "בטבעות הארון יהיו הבדים לא יסורו ממנו" - in the rings of the aron will be placed the poles, they should not be removed from it. Rashi adds "Forever" meaning the poles have to remain forever in the rings of the aron.

This means there is always going to be a prohibition against one removing them, even when the aron is sitting in the Beit Hamikdash and is not in transit.

What is the purpose of the poles during this majority of the time where the aron is not in transit? Why are they so important that there is a specific issur against removing them?

Furthermore, why require such an issur when physically they were constructed in a way that made them impossible to remove (the tips were wider than the size of the ring, so there was no way the poles could be removed)?

second, even if rashi was correct, the poles were made of wood and wood rots or warps or cracks,so perhaps he meant, regardless of what occurs witht thepoles they are to remain...although a rotted pole staying is goofy, I imagine it waould be treated like a pasul torah and buried.

third, perhaps they were afraid if the poles were removed they would be misplaced or stolen.

About Me

I am a regular Joe with a Yeshiva background. I learned in Telshe Yeshiva, Heichal HaTorah (R' Tzvi Kushelevsky), and a now defunct Halacha Kollel. I have semicha from R' Zalman Nechemia Goldberg and kaballa in Shechita from Dayan Schwartz of Kehillas HaYeraim (Chomas HaKashrus). I have a college degree in Finance from Touro College and am also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.
My wife and I, with our 8 children, ben porat yosef (knayna hara), live in Eretz Yisrael.